Recognizing and Managing Teen Stress

Summary

This video script discusses the pervasive issue of stress among high school students, highlighting its sources such as academics, extracurricular activities, and family expectations. The students from the District Attorney's Youth Advisory Board share personal experiences and coping mechanisms, emphasizing the importance of communication, self-expression, and seeking support. They advocate for better school resources, more understanding from adults, and the need for students to know their stress is valid. The script also touches on the pressures of college preparation and the desire for a more personalized approach to education.

Takeaways

• 📚 Stress is a common experience among high school students due to various pressures such as academics, extracurricular activities, and social life.
• 💡 Students feel the need for support systems like family, friends, and school counselors to help manage stress.
• 🧘‍♂️ Self-care activities such as sleep, meditation, and self-expression are mentioned as ways to cope with stress.
• 🏡 The home environment and family expectations contribute to stress levels among students.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Balancing academics with extracurricular activities like sports and clubs is a challenge that causes stress.
• 📈 High academic expectations, both from students themselves and external sources, lead to stress.
• 🗣️ Communication is key in managing stress; students need to be able to talk openly about their stressors.
• 🤝 The support and understanding of parents and teachers play a crucial role in helping students deal with stress.
• 🏫 Schools should provide more resources and advertise existing ones to help students manage stress.
• 🎓 The transition from middle to high school brings an increase in stress due to a higher number of options and expectations.
• 🌟 Pursuing passions and interests, even amidst stress, is important for overall well-being and happiness.

Q & A

What are some ways mentioned in the script to handle stress?

The script mentions various ways to handle stress such as seeking support, spending time with loved ones, resetting, communicating, sleeping, meditating, self-expression, talking with parents, listening to music, and praying.

What is the main focus of the District Attorney's Youth Advisory Board of 2018 in relation to stress?

The District Attorney's Youth Advisory Board of 2018 focused on investigating stress among high school students due to school, sports, clubs, family, college, friends, and the pressures of high school life.

What does the script suggest about the importance of sharing stories to handle stress?

The script suggests that sharing stories can help reduce pressure from people's lives by making them feel less alone and offering hope.

How does the script describe the impact of high academic standards on stress levels?

The script describes high academic standards as a significant source of stress, particularly when combined with extracurricular activities and personal expectations.

What role do extracurricular activities play in the stress experienced by students, according to the script?

The script indicates that extracurricular activities, such as sports and clubs, can add to the stress levels of students by contributing to a busy schedule and increasing the pressure to perform well.

What does the script imply about the availability of resources to help students with stress?

The script implies that there may be a lack of awareness about available resources to help with stress, suggesting that schools should do more to advertise these resources.

What is the script's stance on the importance of communication in managing stress?

The script emphasizes the importance of communication in managing stress, suggesting that students should have open lines of communication with teachers, guidance counselors, and parents.

How does the script view the role of schools in addressing student stress?

The script views schools as having a significant role in addressing student stress by offering resources, promoting better communication, and being more attentive to student well-being.

What does the script suggest about the relationship between stress and academic performance?

The script suggests that stress can impact academic performance negatively, as students may struggle to balance their workload and extracurricular commitments.

What advice does the script offer to students regarding stress and their future?

The script advises students to prioritize self-care, explore their passions, communicate their stress, and use their time effectively to focus on success rather than stress.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Balancing Stress with Support and Self-Expression

The speaker discusses various ways to handle stress, such as seeking support from loved ones, taking time to reset, engaging in communication, getting adequate sleep, practicing meditation, expressing oneself, and turning to music for solace. They also mention the importance of prayer and connecting with a higher power. The paragraph highlights the prevalence of stress and the need to understand its causes and remedies. It introduces the District Attorney's Youth Advisory Board of 2018, which aimed to explore stress among high school students due to school, sports, clubs, family, and social pressures. The speaker shares their personal academic interests and the high standards they set for themselves, which contribute to their stress levels. They also talk about their extracurricular activities and the joy they find in learning, despite the stress it brings. The speaker emphasizes the need for better communication and resource sharing to help students cope with stress.

05:00

🏫 High School Stress and the Importance of Supportive Environments

The speaker reflects on the transition from middle to high school and the increased academic pressure, particularly with Advanced Placement (AP) classes. They mention the overload of options and activities that can contribute to stress. The paragraph also discusses the benefits of having teachers who are supportive and understanding, as well as the importance of finding outlets like playing sports or engaging with electronics to unwind. The speaker acknowledges the stress of balancing academics, extracurricular activities, and part-time work, and the impact it has on their mental health. They also discuss the types of stress they see among their peers, such as academic pressure and home life stress, and suggest that schools should offer more resources and better communication to support students.

10:00

🎶 The Role of Personal Interests in Alleviating Stress

The speaker talks about the importance of pursuing personal interests, such as playing music, in managing stress. They express the need for schools to provide more support for students dealing with relationship stress and social challenges. The paragraph highlights the difficulty of accessing resources and the importance of finding someone who understands and can provide support. The speaker also emphasizes the need for schools to be more personal and proactive in checking on students' well-being, rather than just focusing on academic success. They discuss the challenges of communication between students and teachers and the importance of being heard and understood.

15:01

🗓️ Time Management and Communication as Stress Relievers

The speaker emphasizes the importance of time management and communication in dealing with stress. They suggest that talking about stress with friends or family can be very helpful, as it allows for venting and working through problems. The paragraph also discusses the idea that everyone has different passions and talents, and it's important to explore these areas while maintaining a focus on school. The speaker advises taking care of one's mental health and using time and energy productively to solve problems rather than stressing. They conclude by encouraging individuals to use their time wisely and to strive for success rather than being consumed by stress.

Keywords

💡Stress

Stress is a psychological and physiological response to perceived demands or threats. In the video, stress is depicted as a common challenge faced by high school students, stemming from academic expectations, extracurricular activities, family, and social pressures. The script emphasizes the importance of recognizing stress and finding healthy ways to cope with it, such as through communication and self-expression.

💡Self-Expression

Self-expression refers to the act of conveying one's thoughts, emotions, and ideas in a creative or imaginative way. In the context of the video, self-expression is presented as a healthy outlet for managing stress. It can involve various forms such as art, music, writing, or talking with trusted individuals. The speaker mentions needing self-expression to handle stress, suggesting that it's a personal and empowering way to process emotions.

💡Support System

A support system comprises the network of relationships that provide emotional, financial, or informational assistance to an individual. The video highlights the importance of having a support system, such as friends, family, or mentors, to help manage stress. The concept is illustrated through the speaker's emphasis on needing love and support from those closest to manage stress effectively.

💡Communication

Communication is the process of exchanging information, ideas, or feelings. In the video, communication is stressed as a vital tool for stress management, allowing individuals to share their experiences and seek guidance. It is mentioned as a key way to handle stress, suggesting that talking to parents, teachers, or peers can alleviate feelings of being overwhelmed.

💡Meditation

Meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique, such as focusing their mind on a particular object, thought, or activity, to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. The video mentions meditation as one of the methods to handle stress, implying that it can help in achieving mental clarity and emotional balance amidst the pressures of high school life.

💡Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are pursuits undertaken outside of the normal curriculum in an educational setting, often for personal enrichment or to develop specific skills. In the video, these activities are identified as a source of stress due to their demanding nature, but also as a potential avenue for joy and personal growth when balanced properly.

💡Expectations

Expectations refer to the beliefs or predictions about what will or should happen. The video discusses the pressure of meeting expectations, particularly self-imposed ones, as a significant source of stress. The speakers share their experiences of feeling the need to excel academically and in extracurriculars, which can lead to stress when they feel they are not living up to these expectations.

💡Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and controlling how time is spent to increase efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity. In the context of the video, time management is highlighted as a crucial skill for handling stress. The speakers suggest that better time management can lead to improved academic performance and more leisure time, thus reducing stress.

💡Academic Pressure

Academic pressure refers to the stress that arises from the demands and expectations placed on students regarding their educational performance. The video script mentions academic pressure as a prevalent issue among high school students, causing stress due to the desire to succeed and the fear of failing to meet standards set by themselves, parents, or teachers.

💡Home Life

Home life encompasses the experiences, relationships, and environment that individuals encounter within their family and household. The video discusses how home life can contribute to stress, particularly when there is a lack of understanding or support from family members regarding the pressures faced by students in their academic and personal lives.

💡Resources

Resources in the context of the video refer to the available means or assets that can be used to address a problem or meet a need, such as counseling services, academic support, or recreational facilities. The speakers express a desire for schools to better advertise and provide resources to help students cope with stress and the challenges of high school life.

Highlights

To handle stress, one needs support and time with loved ones.

Communication is key to managing stress.

Sleep and meditation are essential for stress relief.

Self-expression is a way to handle stress.

Talking with parents can help manage stress.

Music can be a stress-reliever.

Love and support from close ones are crucial for stress management.

Praying and connecting with God can alleviate stress.

The Youth Advisory Board explored stress among high school students.

Students face stress from school, sports, clubs, family, and college.

Sharing stories can help reduce stress.

Academics and extracurricular activities can be a source of joy and stress.

High expectations, especially self-imposed, can lead to stress.

Students feel stressed due to a combination of home, school, and extracurricular demands.

Schools should offer more resources and advertise them to students.

Better communication between schools, students, and teachers is needed.

Students feel that their stress is often minimized by adults.

High school offers more options and avenues, leading to an overload of choices and stress.

Having supportive teachers can help students unwind.

It's important to remember that stress will pass and to do one's best.

Students feel pressured to maintain a certain image for college applications.

Schools should be more personal and check in on students' well-being.

Students need help dealing with relationship stress and social issues.

Guidance counselors and teachers should be more accessible and understanding.

Students feel their input is not acted upon by schools.

Communication between students and teachers has barriers.

Talking to parents can be a way to release built-up stress.

Sometimes students just need someone to listen rather than give advice.

Stress can be a motivator, but too much can be detrimental.

Students should explore their passions and not just focus on academics.

Self-care is crucial for students to prevent school performance from suffering.

Students should not waste time and energy on stress but solve problems instead.

Students should use their time for success rather than stress.

Transcripts

to handle stress I need support

tannoy stress I need time to spend with

the ones that I love to handle stress I

need to reset to handle stress

I need communication to handle stress I

need sleep and meditation to handle

stress I need self-expression to handle

stress I need to talk with my parents to

handle stress I need my music to handle

stress I need love and support from

those who are closest to me to handle

stress I need to pray and connect with

God the word stress is tossed around the

lot we all use it we all feel it but do

we all stop to consider the reasons for

stress and ways to help relieve it the

District Attorney's Youth Advisory Board

of 2018 felt we should look more into

stress between school sports clubs

family college friends and the countless

pressures of high school life we need to

take a step back and think we can't

offer perfect solutions but we want to

let you know that you aren't alone and

sharing our stories we hope we can

remove a bit of pressure from your lives

so sit back relax let go of all that

stress my first big interest was books

that and sports were my two major things

growing up and that's continued in high

school to the point that I've been

accepted at some of the most selective

universities in the country

I have very high standards for myself

academically but at the same time I'm

very laid back in a sense and so people

can't really see whether or not I'm

stressed out or something even though

school is very fun for me and learning

is very exciting for me it's very

stressful at the same time I am the type

of student that's kind of low average

probably not where I should be but very

well capable of where I could be I would

describe myself as someone who really

values education and

it tries to make that his main focus and

also it tries to balance his academics

with extracurriculars such as sports and

clubs I think that I'm kind of one of

the lucky ones because school is one of

the only things that consistently brings

me joy like I love waking up I love

learning new things it's this thing that

I'm so passionate about what stresses me

out right now is the expectations not

the expectations of other people but the

expectations that I have for myself I am

a person who gets stressed out really

easily because I just tend to worry

about everything so it's not the things

themselves that stressed me out it's

just trying to make sure everything's

perfect and just trying to make sure

everything's together and working I'm

stressed out by things at home things at

school trying to keep my grades up well

trying to manage myself and work hard at

home and at least play a part and my

family at school most definitely

stressed me out with all the classes

that are taking place and one uh

extracurricular activities clubs I'm

involved with and sports that I do all

year round and uh work as well working

from four to eleven and then not having

time to do my homework sometimes and not

getting enough sleep

what types of stress do you guys see in

your school a lot of students are

inclined to become stressed out by

academics whether that's pressure from

themselves or their parents or even

their teachers and peers to do well in

class and I think that definitely takes

a toll on a lot of students home life

that's really stretches students out the

most and then they just reflect that

upon it taking it into school and they

don't want to participate in some things

because it's too much for them that's

what I don't notice in my school I feel

like the schools could definitely offer

like a lot more resources for students

like even just like advertising the

resources because a lot of kids don't um

access them because they don't know that

they're there I think we need better

communication between the school

students

it's the teachers or administrators just

knowing that you're able to talk to

somebody whether that's in your guidance

department or a teacher or even a parent

that you can definitely trust and go to

I feel like it's important that

everybody knows that because I feel like

with stress every single one of us kind

of has a bit of a sense of hopelessness

and I feel like we all need to know that

there is hope there should definitely be

more people that

like let people know that their stress

is valid there's there should be less

minimizing each other's stress and like

adults should listen more to like their

children about what's stressing them and

they shouldn't tell them that what they

are stressed about like doesn't matter

because everyone's stress matters a lot

of my stress came from high school I was

pretty good in middle school but when I

went into AP classes because they put me

in multiple at a time and in middle

school they just had regular classes for

us I think to bounce off of that I agree

completely because once you hit high

school there are a lot more avenues for

you to go down a lot more options for

you to use your time and it gets to a

point that it's almost like an overload

of different things you can do and that

wasn't really available in middle school

and I feel like that definitely

contributes to bad weights do you like

this dress while at school I think that

I'm lucky because I get a tinker with a

lot of electronics which is a big thing

for me I feel like that's really

beneficial because it gives me something

to do or I could talk to some of my

teachers that aren't just robotic like

lesson done go home they got paid that

day I feel like that talking to somebody

that is there for like actually being

there for you rather than just I'm gonna

teach the lesson and then that's it

that's all there is for it today I feel

like that's more beneficial and it

definitely helps me unwind

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for example have a day where I have like

at at like a test in every class in a

game after school and although it seems

hard in the moment I just have to

remember that it'll all be over soon and

I just have to put in my best effort

because that's all I can do and that's

something that I've dealt with my whole

life where I neglect my soul so that I

can maintain this notion of ego so like

I would have loved to take an art class

not because I think that I want to do it

as a career or because I want to think

or because I want to just be an artist

or anything like that but just because I

want to have fun and I want to learn

things because that's what these 12

years are really about but I don't think

I have that freedom because I don't know

where to find the balance between being

happy and looking admirable on a

transcript my school is very testing

based because we're a charter school and

we take a lot we not only take like em

caste and everything but we also take a

lot of tests to like see us benchmarks

for like what how each student is doing

in each subject and I'm not a good test

taker when it comes to time tests as

every single day is different and it

comes with different challenges

especially with time midterms normal

tests homeworks projects all sorts of

these things come with different time

limits and time constraints and it's up

to us and how we're gonna attack this I

was a pretty good student I had AIDS and

the occasional be but this senior year

is like when I first started like

seriously working and my grades have

taken an impact so I mean I'm not the

best student as I was I would say kind

of my average is like a bee

and I'm not gonna lie it sometimes I

just have to prioritize work over doing

schoolwork and it just it's so stressful

knowing that I could be a like a so much

better student but I just can't because

I just don't have the time to I get

really agitated or I just kind of

isolate myself from other people like

I'm just get away from me I don't want

to talk to you I just want to be on my

own I want to deal with this on my own

and I don't want to be I don't want to

be rude I don't want to insult you in

any way shape or form I and it's nothing

against you it's just something that I'm

going through and I'm trying to get

through it I definitely feel like when

I'm in a situation where I'm not sure

how I'm gonna be able to finish the work

the best way I need to deal with it is

to voice what I'm going through to my

parents and they're always extremely

supportive one time I'm on the

basketball court

and I'm just playing basketball and out

of nowhere like everything just came

down on at one time so I ran off the

basketball court and I went to the

locker room and just cry and I didn't

know what was wrong with me but then I

realized that it was just too much for

me

I felt like there was a huge weight on

my chest but once I talked to my coach

everything just went away seeing as in

my situation it's really difficult to

find like the resources you need to deal

with this type of stress but just more

of your energy more of yourself that's

what it really comes down to it is

really difficult to actually find help

when dealing with these type of

situations we were just loaded with

things extracurricular activities and on

top of that like

like not eating the best so like finding

it in ourselves trying to find someone

that connects with you is like the most

ideal when dealing with this stress I

definitely think would be really helpful

if schools were a lot more personal with

their students and kind of avidly

checking in on how their students were

rather than kind of making them or

putting pressure on them to succeed and

to be well and to make the school

something good so I mean if schools were

to do that I really think the school

environment would be a lot more healthy

every year I've taken a period out of my

schedule to take band classes and I

think it's important for schools to

teach you to really find something you

love to do during the day

because I mean that 45 minutes of

playing music every morning is really

helpful I definitely think there needs

to be some type of like more help for

like relationship stress and like just

like just like it stress with your

friends because you know you're a

teenager you're trying to figure out

yourself and you're trying to navigate

high school and not even just like in

the academic sphere just like in the

social sphere like you're going to have

fights with your friends you're gonna

have changes in who you are and you have

to just figure out how to deal with them

and I think that a lot of kids don't

feel that they have avenues to talk

about that especially because talking to

the counselor is embarrassing and things

like that so I definitely think we

should offer more help to students in

that regard I agree because I feel that

grades and college preparation shouldn't

be a barrier between um the students

being able to talk to their guidance

counselors and their teachers that they

actually do need help

other than scheduling their classes

because their well being is very

important at smaller schools like I go

to a really small school and so you

would think that like guidance

counselor's would know every student but

even the guidance counselor at my school

doesn't know everyone and I can't even

imagine what it's like at bigger schools

at regional schools because not knowing

every single student in help like it's

hard to know every single student but

checking in every now and then that's

that you don't usually see and if the

smaller school like mine is having

trouble doing such like it's probably on

a much larger scale because bigger

schools have more like of a variety of

different types of people and different

types of students in different types of

situations so like I'm barely getting

that type of like checking in with my

teachers so I can't even imagine what

like other students are going through I

don't know if you guys feel this at your

school but I feel like my school is also

always like you want to hear the

students input we want to hear what you

think we want to hear your can concern

criticism but they never do it's like

you you talk about what bothers you and

they're like oh okay and they like never

act on it and that's what's so

frustrating because it makes me feel

like they're not listening and they're

just kind of sweeping what we say

underneath the rug I think that teachers

and like administrators and such they

like try their best but I think that the

problem is we just they just don't know

how to communicate there are all these

like walls between students and teachers

so I think that even though they want to

include us it's it's really difficult

for like adults to figure out ways to

communicate with kids in a way that's

not condescending and in a way that's

effective I definitely feel like it's

crucial for me to talk to my parents

because articulating to them what I've

got to do in how stressed I am even if

they can't necessarily help you leave it

which they often can but even if they

can't just being able to express it to

somebody definitely helps me release the

stress that I have built up inside like

what Matt said yes I have to communicate

with my parents cuz I don't like going

through things by myself and if the

supports there I'm gonna use it I'm not

gonna let it go to waste because I know

like a lot of the times when I talk to

my parents it's helpful in some ways but

like a lot of times I don't because they

I know that they think that they're

helping when they try to relate and they

try to talk about their own personal

stress like their own personal

experience and try to give advice but it

seems to in that

in some way what I'm saying and

sometimes kids just need somebody to

listen they don't necessarily need

advice sometimes they just need an

outlet or like a human diary or

something like that usually try to talk

to my parents and sometimes like I'm

afraid to because I'm not sure they'll

understand but I think in the long run

usually when I eventually do which tends

to be like later on after you know I've

been stressing over it for a while I

mean it tends to work out and it's

usually a lot of help

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I know a little stress can help push

people to do their best I know a little

bit of pressure can make diamonds

basically so a little bit of stress can

get me personally to do my best and

perform my best it's just once that

little bit of stress manifests into

something way too big and way too much

to handle that's when things kind of

turn in the opposite direction and I

know everyone views the world

differently but it's just hard to find

someone that you can really connect with

and be sure that they understand what

you're thinking

and I've tried to like overcome that by

talking to new people and I mean it's

helped for the most part but it's still

just really tough there's always a next

step there's always something else you

can do there's always a way around a

different paths you can take per se

because I think that what a lot of

people don't understand is they get

stuck they're stuck in mud and they

can't get out they don't know what to do

and I think that a big thing to take out

of it is that there's always gonna be

something after there's always gonna be

something to gain there's always gonna

be something more to what's going on

even if it doesn't seem that bright

right now it there's always a light at

the end of the tunnel the number one way

of coping I definitely talk about it

with people it's sometimes it's really

hard and it's sometimes you don't want

to because it seems stupid or like you

seem like your stress isn't significant

enough but you have to recognize that

all stress is valid no matter how small

it may be

so when you talk about it with somebody

it helps you kind of vent about how

you're feeling in it it'll probably help

you work through how to get through this

dress it always helps me to go to my

friends and talk about my stress with

them because often times

I feel like they've gone through similar

things and if they've been able to

conquer their stress and get through it

and then I feel like they'll really be

able to give me an awesome help that

don't hopefully allow me to do the same

I think the two biggest things are time

management and communication to help you

with your stress I think time management

is huge because you'll probably get a

little more sleep than I do if you

definitely take your time like a lot

certain amounts of time to do your work

or your extracurriculars or that sort of

thing and the other huge thing is

communication I feel as though voicing

what you're going through to a close

friend or your parents or a relative or

a teacher anybody who cares about you if

you voice your problems to them and you

really express that it'll make you feel

better I think that everyone's passions

and everyone's talents lies in a

different place and if you don't like

school necessarily I think that I think

you should do the best that you can and

try to like maintain what you think is

important for yourself in school but

absolutely explore other areas explore

your passions because I think that as

long as you can be happy everything will

work will work itself out whatever it is

in your schedule make sure that school

is very important but you are even more

important because if you don't take care

of yourself then school is going

downhill and I'm gonna say that straight

up because it's all up to you your

future the one that you're wearing every

single day about it's up to you what

your future is gonna look like you have

to take care of yourself my advice to

you is that you shouldn't waste your

time and energy on stressing because the

time and energy you waste on stressing

you could be using it to solve the

problem that you're in and advice always

give to people who are in the same

situation as I am they're just going

through a lot of stress despite not

having a lot of trust

at the end of the day it's gonna be

about you what do you want to do what do

you want your life to be are you just

gonna see here and repeat the cycle of

poverty are you gonna do something about

it and turn that around and try to be an

influence and inspiration to people and

tell your story go out there become

someone so my question for you is what

are you gonna use your time for stress

or success

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